The invention relates to an operating microscope assembly, and more particularly, to a movable microscope assembly which is used for the purpose of medical operations.
A conventional operating microscope is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown, a stand or stanchion 1 is fixedly mounted on a base (not shown), and a first arm 2 is mounted on the stand 1 so as to be vertically movable therealong and also angularly movable in a horizontal plane. A second arm 3 has one end pivotally connected with the end of the first arm 2 remote from stand 1 so as to be angularly movable in a horizontal plane. At its other end, the second arm 3 has a downwardly depending portion on which a suspension member 4 is rotatably mounted. The lower end of the suspension member 4 fixedly carries a horizontal mounting pin 4a, on which a pedestal 6 is mounted so as to be tiltable about the axis of the pin 4a. An operating microscope 5 is slidably mounted on the pedestal 6 and is movable in the direction of the optical axis O of an observation optical system, that is, in the direction of Z-axis, for focussing purposes.
With the conventional arrangement described above, an object on a plane S may be observed by disposing the microscope 5 so that its observation optical axis O is at an angle of .theta. with respect to the vertical. When it is desired to observe another location on the plane S, it will be noted that the freedom of motion of the microscope 5 is that of angular movement about vertical axes A.sub.1, A.sub.2, A.sub.3 and tilting motion about the mounting pin 4a. Hence, it is necessary to bring the microscope 5 over the location to be observed by either angularly moving the first arm 1 about the vertical axis A.sub.1 of the stand 1, angularly moving the second arm 3 about the vertical axis A.sub.2 or angularly moving the suspension member 4 about the vertical axis A.sub.3 which extends through the other end of the second arm 3, followed by a movement of the microscope 5 in the Z-axis direction for focussing purpose. Thus it will be seen that the required operation is very troublesome, and requires skill and a considerable length of time.